Cookies are one of the worlds favorite treat.
Cookies consist of refined flours, different types of sugar that influence the taste and texture of the final product, a binder containing moisture and fats such as eggs and butter, a leavening agent, and flavors such as extracts, spices, fruit, chocolate, and nuts.
When making cookies, it is important to balance the different ingredients to ensure proper texture, spread, and rise of the cookie during baking.
In addition to physical characteristics, a proper balance of ingredients will also affect the shelf life. When baking, a proper amount of leavening agent is required to achieve the desired end product.
The most common types of leavening agents used in baking are baking soda and baking powder. As cookies bake, water in the dough boils and turns to steam at approximately 100 degrees Celsius. The steam produced then reacts with the baking soda or powder to create carbon dioxide gas. It is this gas which causes the cookie to rise.
The effectiveness of this reaction can influence the flakiness, chew, and crispiness of the cookie.
If the pH of the baking soda/powder mix is off, then this can cause the pH of the mixed dough to be too low or too high. In order to limit bacterial growth, the raw cookie dough must be below pH 8. The leavening mixes can vary in pH from batch to batch within a set lot.
Therefore it is important to monitor both the pH of the leavening mix in the mixed dough to ensure a sufficient shelf life and a high quality baked good.
For measuring pH in cookie dough HANNA has several solutions:
HI98161
The HI98161 is a rugged, waterproof, portable pH meter that measures pH and temperature using the specialized FC2023 Foodcare pH electrode.
This professional, waterproof meter complies with IP67 standards.
The HI98161 is supplied with all necessary accessories to perform a pH/temperature measurement packaged into a durable thermoformed carrying case that holds the meters, probes and calibration buffers securely in place.
HI99161
and Dairy pH Meter
Designed to bring simplicity to pH testing of food and dairy products, the HI99161 pH Meter for Food and Dairy is designed for use in the food sector.
The specialized probe features a PVDF body, conical tip, and open junction making it ideal for direct measurement of semisolid foods.
- ±0.02 pH accuracy
- Comes with all the necessary solutions and batteries- everything you need to get started measuring right away.
- Great for use in small food and dairy operations as well as for hobbyists.
Tajana Mokrović
mag.nutr.
